Strike up the Band!
by Malevolent-Chan
Summary: Rock festivals, rival bands, expenses, and the arguments are just a few obstacles bandleader Ichigo Kurosaki, drummer Chad, bass Toshiro, guitarist Renji, and keyboardist Ulquiorra face on their way to "making it big." Does their band really have what it takes or will they forever be known as the garage band that made it nowhere? Yaoi.


|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||[ Author's Note ]||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||

I'm really excited about writing this story, not only are they high schoolers, they are in a band! Yay lol! I'm still working out the plot but this should be several chapters when finished. Anywayz I don't have much to say but I at least hope you like reading this as much as I liked writing it :)

Warning to reader: Yaoi, watch out if you're _scared_! - challenge lol

Disclaimer: Yep, I still don't own bleach just like the rest of us on here.

||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||[ Strike up the Band! - Chapter 1, No Name ]||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||

Ichigo walked up to the shed behind his friend's house and smirked upon the loud noise emanating from inside. He opened the door, and the sound intensified as entered his band's lair.

"Yo, what's up guys?" Ichigo asked, opening the door to the mini fridge, grabbing himself a coke.

Chad smiled a little and said, "hey, Ichigo."

Ichigo flashed a smile back. Ulquiorra looked up from his keyboard and nodded before returning to his work.

_Little emo punk as usual._

"Toshiro?" Ichigo asked.

"Hmm, I'm just practicing the same song per _usual. When is our brilliant-prodigy-songwriter going to step it up and give me something new to learn?" _Toshiro asked, voice gradually becoming as cold as ice while he changed the strings on his bass.

"Alright, I get it. I'll start writing, just as soon as I get an idea..." Ichigo trailed, scratching the back of his neck.

"Hey idiots, everyone is short on payments. How the hell are we going to get anything done with no cash?" Renji asked, looking through the Mason jars with their names labeled on them where they put their portion of the band's money for the month.

Everyone in the room mumbled and grumbled under their breaths.

"Tell Ichigo what your dad said," Renji barked at Ulquiorra.

Ulquiorra stared sideways at Renji for a second before answering,"He said if we don't have rent for this month, he will rip everything out of here and use it to build a car," Ulquiorra said in his monotonous voice.

Ichigo took a deep breath and put his head in his hands. Through his hands, he asked, "Renji, how far off are we?"

"I dunno, like a hundred bucks?" Renji replied.

"Renji, you're fired. What kind of accountant are you? Chad, help me out here. What do we need to pay? How much do we have, and any updates on your drums?" Ichigo asked.

Renji laughed, "fine, fine, I'm fired. But, it doesn't take a rocket scientist to know we're short. Besides, you know the only things I'm good at is fighting and guitar."

Chad's eyebrows furrowed as he began sorting the money. "He's right."

Ichigo began pacing back and forth. "Shit."

Ulquiorra tilted his head, observing Ichigo. He replied, "he needs it by the end of the month. It's the 24th of May today."

Ichigo sat down in a rickety mismatch chair beside Chad at the small round table in the back left-hand corner of the room. He started thinking of ways to make money.

After a few minutes, Chad spoke, "we have six days, $47.35, $135 dollar rent, we need soda, guitar strings, recording equipment, a computer, my drums are still broken."

The color left Ichigo's face as he tried to comprehend how much money that would be. Toshiro laughed under his breath, and Ichigo shot him a glare. Ulquiorra stood from his keyboard, grabbed his notebook and joined them at the table. Ichigo looked up at him as he began scribbling to himself.

After a minute or so, he dropped the notebook in front of Ichigo.

_Priorities:_

_1. Soda - 5 boxes for $11_

_2. Rent - $135 by 5/30_

_3. Strings - $5 _

_4. Drums - I assume at least $150 worth of parts_

_5. Computer - at least $500_

_6. Equipment - around $200 of programs_

_Total: $1001_

All five boys gathered around the notebook and stared at the total. Ichigo's eye began twitching. Renji was the first to speak, "no fucking way."

Ichigo blinked. In all seriousness, he said, "I have a preposition...let's get soda!"

Everyone stood excited for whatever reason. "Our leader sure is simple minded," Ulquiorra stated.

Ichigo hung his arm around Ulquiorra's shoulders, "you have a better idea? I'm all ears."

Ulquiorra swallowed, but didn't reply.

Toshiro and Ulquiorra followed slowly behind the other three who were arguing practically to the death about what sodas they needed.

"Idiots! I don't care what we get, shut the hell up! White-out Mountain Dew..." Toshiro added.

Renji grabbed him by the collar, "oh, what was that? You don't care what we get? Fuck your Mountain Dew, Coke or die!"

Chad looked back to Ulquiorra standing silently watching them argue with an ever so slight pained expression.

"Guys, its five for eleven," Chad said and Ulquiorra shot him a small smile.

"Why does that matter?" replied Ichigo.

Toshiro jumped up at smacked Ichigo in the back of his head, "idiot, it means we each get our own box!"

Afterwards, the boys cleared their throats and straightened up. Renji mumbled lightly, "Coke still wins."

Toshiro shot him a glare.

It took them about twenty minutes of goofing off and walking to get to the convenience store.

"'Sup Ikakku?" Renji said as they walked into the little store.

"Nothin much, man. Just hanging in there," Ikkaku replied from behind the register.

Each boy picked their preferred soda and put it on the counter. Ichigo paid and they left, each nodding to Ikkaku as they left.

They began walking back. Chad reached over and grabbed Ulquiorra's soda box, lightening his load. Afterwards, he grabbed Toshiro's as well and put it under his arm.

"Hey! Don't insult me, I'm stronger than I look," Toshiro said irritated, folding his arms against his chest.

"I know," Chad said simply. Toshiro huffed.

When they reached the door to their practice room, Ichigo stopped and turned to his friends.

"Times are tough. The economy is tougher, but I refuse to lose this band. Look guys, our fifty is due in four days; I don't care how you do it. No one can show up to the practice room without it. Even with that, we won't have enough to fix his drums but hell, at least we can save our room and get started. Chad, go haggle the hell out of the music store. 'Night, see you guys."

The boys stared as their leader walked off.

Ulquiorra said quietly, "still so simple minded..."

Renji said, "fuck simple minded, he's fucking ridiculous, I don't have money just laying around by four days. I rely on those extra days until the end of the month. Tch, maybe I can harass Kisuke or something. Ugh, he might make me try weird pills again..." Renji shivered.

Toshiro replied, "I'm not worried, I have money saved. You know what really bothers me? We have no name. This band, we've been together for three months with. No. Name." He then walked off.

"Cocky bastard," Renji sated. Chad remained quiet.

The next morning Ichigo thumbed through his wallet.

_Short ten dollars, huh?_

Ichigo sighed.

_The leader has to follow his own rules, right? Oh, I still have that thing._

Ichigo glanced to the right corner of his room where his piggy bank sat on his desk. He pulled the plug at the bottom, and change began pouring out onto his desk. After emptying his bank, he started sifting out quarters until he had scrounged 40 quarters.

He began his walk to Ulquiorra's house, pockets jingling severely with every step.

_God I hope I don't come across a homeless guy. How the hell am I supposed to lie with all this rattling?_

Ulquiorra's house was in the back of their neighborhood. It took him about five minutes to get there. He went through the back entrance and into the shed and was surprised to see Ulquiorra practicing.

"Do not worry," he said pointing to his jar of money.

"Whatever, your immune. It's your house anyway."

"Mn, you are wrong. It is my dad's house. This is the shed. You pay equal rent as I do."

Ichigo smiled and walked to his own jar, opened the lid and Ulquiorra watched as Ichigo dumped the contents of his pockets into the jar. Quarters fell everywhere.

"There's probably a better way to do that," Ichigo said quietly to himself as he continued to struggle.

Ulquiorra left his keyboard to help pick change off of the floor.

"You think I'm an idiot, right?" Ichigo asked. The quarters didn't all fit, and he was stacking them up by his jar and fishing out his thirty dollars from his wallet.

"No. Being simple minded does not make you an idiot. Things run more efficiently with simple concepts. However, there may be better solutions at times. It is really your procrastination that bothers me..." Ulquiorra replied.

"Procrastination?" Ichigo asked, partly to himself.

Ulquiorra nodded, "You wait until problems are right upon you to address them. You only plan a little ahead and everything that could have been solved earlier becomes a dramatic issue."

Ichigo grimaced. "Well, I came to the right person for the truth. What should I do then?"

Ulquiorra stood in thought for a moment before fetching his notebook. He turned it to a blank page and began scribbling again. When the notebook was handed to Ichigo, it had one word as the title:

_Democracy_

Ichigo stared incredulously at the page, and Ulquiorra went back to his keyboard and began practicing their song.

"Democracy?" Ichigo asked. Ulquiorra stopped mid-note.

He took a breath before saying, "If you do not have the capacity to be an efficient leader who looks out for all aspects of the band, including the needs of each member and finances while maintaining your role as lead singer and songwriter, you should develop a democracy. In other words, a system that is supervised by you but runs without you so if you ever become too swamped, then you can take a break. Honestly, you are the best leader among us, with the exception of Toshiro; however, he doesn't receive as much respect as you. Therefore, sit down for the next four days and work out one of your simple-minded plans to make things run."

"That is the most I have ever heard you say but...thanks" Ichigo replied, sitting down with the notebook. Ulquiorra nodded before he began playing again.

Ichigo stared at the notebook for thirty minutes until he began writing aggressively as his mind was flooded with so many ideas he was worried he would forget them if not written down. Ulquiorra smiled just a bit.

"Man, this is the fourth day; where the hell is Toshiro?" Ichigo asked the group that had gathered in the practice room.

"I dunno, he said he was bathing in the riches. Said something about being pissed off," Renji said, thumbing through a magazine of half-naked girls.

"That's not exactly the point. I just...whatever, I'm going to find him."

"Since when did he give a rat's ass what Toshiro was doing?" Renji asked. Ulquiorra glanced at him and forced himself not to smile.

After his emotions were in control, he said under his breath, "poisoning your mind with filth."

Renji threw down his magazine. "What was that?! You're just mad because you're emotionless virgin eyes have never seen such beautiful women!"

Ulquiorra stared at Renji blankly during his rant. After a few seconds, he responded simply, "disgusting."

Ichigo began walking briskly to Toshiro's house that wasn't far from Ulquiorra's. His brows furrowed, irritation showing on his face. After rounding the corner, Ichigo ran up the driveway and steps to Toshiro's. He knocked on the door.

He braced himself to begin fussing Toshiro's ears off, but was caught off guard when his sister, Momo, answered.

Ichigo scratched his neck awkwardly.

"Oh! Ichigo, hi. What brings you here? Come in," she grabbed Ichigo's wrist and pulled him inside.

"Hey, Momo. Uh, is Toshiro here?" Ichigo asked looking around the corner where the hallway lead to his room.

"Ohh, no he isn't. I thought perhaps he was with you. No telling where Toshy is. If you find him, tell him dinner is at seven, and I'm not cooking for an empty house!" Momo said with a smile.

"Sure thing," Ichigo said, waving as he left.

_Where would that idiot be? Not telling anyone where he went._

Ichigo ran off in the direction of the neighborhood park. When he arrived, he went straight to the soccer field. He took a sigh of relief when he laid his eyes on Toshiro.

"Toshiro!" Ichigo yelled, running up to the boy. He fell over when a soccer ball whizzed by his head.

"Tch, watch where you kick that thing!" Ichigo said, brushing dirt off of his pants.

"Do you really think I would have such bad aim? You have no respect for me whatsoever," Toshiro said, walking up to the orange haired boy and standing above him.

Ichigo sat up. His brows furrowed. "What, you're saying you were trying to hit me?"

"That is exactly what I'm saying. How nice of you to comprehend. It's funny that I can kick a ball at your head and suddenly, what I say makes total sense to you. However, any other time I speak, I am _ignored_," Toshiro said sharply.

Ichigo stood and stepped close to Toshiro until there was only a foot between them.

Toshiro sighed, "typical Ichigo, standing above everyone. You like standing this close to me, so you could stare down at me even more."

"What's with you?" Ichigo asked lamely.

"Do I have to kick another ball at your head? Get off your damn high-horse," Toshiro retorted.

Ichigo sighed, "is this about the whole money thing? If you can't cover it, don't worry about it. It's not worth you being this pissed."

Toshiro snorted sarcastically before his face grew serious again. "About the money? It's not about the money," Toshiro said pulling out his wallet, handing Ichigo a fifty. "This Ichigo, is about you. About this band, if you can even call it that. You run around barking orders, while you sit on your ass and nothing gets done. I'm sick of it and _you_. Everyone, and I mean everyone has a louder voice to you than me. Renji can say whatever he wants, Chad can say a total of three words, and you're on it; Ulquiorra can pull your puppet strings behind his invisible stage."

Ichigo swallowed nervously. Toshiro was in a dark place, and as afraid as he was to admit, this confrontation was inevitable for him.

"Anything else?" Ichigo mustered the courage to ask, having no idea what would set him off further.

"Anything else? Well, then there's me. It's not like I don't know why you're like that. You are all about your friends. Friends this and that. Chad has known you forever, you and Renji are like brothers. Somehow, I have no idea how, Ulquiorra has wormed his way into your heart. It's not like I'm not your friend. I'm just the little kid who's there and unimportant," Toshiro finished, kicking the ball with supernatural strength into the goal from across the field.

Ichigo huffed. Toshiro was laying every problem at his feet, so he felt obliged to do the same.

"Okay, I hear you. And here is the problem I have with you. Your inferiority complex gets in front of everything. You become so focused on it that you always forget what it is that you're trying to do."

"It's funny your problem with me is the same one I have with you. You're always on your Napoleon complex. Tell me, what is it _we_ are trying to do?"

"Look Toshiro, this band, yeah, you were the last person added. It has nothing to do with what you play. You weren't the last added because we needed a bass, Renji is actually a hell of a lot better at bass then he is at guitar. I know other people who can play guitar, in fact, I can. I added you because you have become a close friend. Renji was our bass player, but when we added you, he happily agreed to become the lead guitarist. That's it. Yeah, I am all about my friends, and this band isn't all about the music. We don't have to be a band to be friends; we have to be friends to be a band, okay? I am a dumbass at times. You're right; I don't listen. I have a thick skull. Me and Chad, we communicate with less words, me and Renji communicate in the same harsh way so yeah he can say what he wants, and I get it. Me and Ulquiorra, we have a weird relationship, but I'm just starting to get where he is coming from so it probably does look strange. But me and you? Coldhearted Toshiro hits me across the head and then boom, a light bulb.

Toshiro laughed a little, mouth resting on a smile.

Ichigo continued, "That's our way; you're right. I am in no way better than you. I like it better when you're arrogant, so let's just put this behind us, 'kay? Besides, I have this mega cool new plan. So, how about we go back, act like this never happened and that Momo had you trapped watching chick flicks with her. This Napoleon here swooped in and saved you, huh?"

Toshiro sighed, "I guess that's not too far from the truth." He stuck his hand out, "truce?"

Ichigo smiled and shook it, "yeah, truce. Let's go!"

"Alright, alright guys. Take a seat," Ichigo began, pulling out an easel and putting a board covered with fabric on it as everyone gathered around on the floor and chairs.

"So, I get the memo. Things need to be changed around here, so hear me out," Ichigo explained, lifting the fabric off of the whiteboard.

"First things first, we are going to go around the room, and when it's your turn, you give me an idea for the band's name. If you don't have one fine, but we need to decide. Of course by popular vote."

"Ulquiorra, you start."

Ulquiorra looked down for a second before responding, "The Espada? It's sword in Spanish."

Ichigo recorded the name, and Renji nodded.

Renji then said proposed his name, "Shinigami. Japanese for Grim Reaper, sounds to hardcore in English."

"Chad?"

"Soul Society," Chad said and Toshiro commented, "I like that."

"Okay, well do you have one?"

"How about...Soul...Candy?"

Chad nodded. Ulquiorra responded casually, "catchy," while turning his head. Renji punched his fist into the air, "fuck yeah. I vote for that one!"

Ichigo smiled and put his fist to Toshiro, and he bumped it. "Nice one."

"Okay, second. I was looking at some popular bands and what makes them tick. Some of the most successful have a visual thing going for them. So, I was thinking we could each come up with our own names and looks. They don't have to be too exaggerated if you don't want. Just do you, I guess. How about a week for that, then we will meet here a week from now with our new personas. That sound cool?" Ichigo asked. He was happy to see everyone looking excited, save for Ulquiorra, but that was nothing new.

Everyone nodded.

"Okay cool, now I'm going to give out jobs. Renji, you are our people person. So I'm going to put you in charge of gigs," Ichigo said.

"Yeah, sounds good to me," Renji said nodding.

"Ulquiorra, you are our designer and online promoter, 'kay? You don't have to directly handle people and you're pretty artistic. So, your first task is Soul Candy's logo. That can be due for presentations the same day as our personas."

Ulquiorra blinked a few times in thought before nodding in agreement.

"Chad, I need you with expenses and profits and stuff, accountant basically. Can you handle that?" Ichigo asked.

"Yeah, sure thing Ichigo."

"Toshiro, you're second in command when I'm not around. I'm going to have you handling the music side of things. Reviewing lyrics and songs, managing recording and stuff," Ichigo said.

Toshiro smiled. "Aye aye, captain," he said, saluting.

"And then there's me. I'm all about you guys, my friends. I will make sure things run smoothly. Pick up any slack. Resolve issues, and try to get what we need. Can you guys trust me?" Ichigo asked.

Chad responded first, "trust you with my life." Renji replied, "yeah, ditto on that!"

Ulquiorra nodded curtly, and Toshiro grinned.

"Glad to hear it. So guys, I made this gay little box here where you write all your complaints and stuff where I can fix them. Don't even have to put your name on it. So yeah, that's all I got right now. Let's see how it works. Now, let's make this shit happen, you with me?"

Everyone shouted in agreement, getting to their various jobs.

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Guess what comes next chapter? Definitely those personas, should be entertaining enough! Well, I will make more chapters to this but only if I get any reviews saying I should cuz I'm not sure if anyone will like this! Well, if you do please leave a review so I know what I need to work on and if you have any ideas for the plot. If you hated it (I hope u didnt, lol) then you can leave me a review about what I did wrong! Oh and a little note, this will have romance. If there are any pairings among the band or any in general I will consider them. Grimmjow will be added in some way into this story, haven't worked out the details yet.

- Malevolent-Chan


End file.
